Midweek Meals: Five delicious dinners ready in less than 30 minutes

From fish, pasta, beef and veggies — there's something for everyone in these tasty dishes

If you find yourself tight on time this week, these meals take less than 30 minutes to prepare.

Fish tacos

A stalwart of American food trucks, these tacos are stuffed with hearty vegetables and delicate flavour and will be in regular rotation on your weekly menu

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 40g panko breadcrumbs

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp garlic granules

• salt

• pepper 

• 1 egg

• 300g fresh cod or haddock fillets, cut into goujons

• 6–7 sprays of rapeseed oil

• For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp lighter than light mayo

• 1 tsp yellow American mustard

• 1 pickled gherkin, finely chopped

• 1 tsp pickle juice from the gherkin jar

• 1 garlic clove, finely minced

• juice of ½ a lime

• To build the tacos:

• 4–6 small wholemeal wraps

• Shredded lettuce

• 1 red onion, halved then finely sliced into half moons

• 1 large tomato, diced

• 3-4 tbsp tinned sweetcorn

• 1 radish, finely sliced

• fresh coriander (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Lash the panko, smoked paprika and garlic granules, along with the salt and pepper, into a bowl and mix well.

3. Beat the egg in a separate bowl, then dip the goujons first into the egg, then into the spice mix, making sure they are coated evenly.

4. Spray a baking tray with a little oil and evenly lay out the coated pieces of fish on it. Pop in the preheated oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning and spraying with a little oil halfway through, until the coating is golden and brown.

5. To make the sauce, mix all the ingredients in a small ramekin and put to one side.

6. Heat the wraps on a dry pan until soft or pop in the microwave for 20 seconds, then lash on the lettuce, onion, tomato and cooked fish goujons. Finish by shaking over some sweetcorn, drizzle over the sauce, and garnish with some radish and optional coriander.
   This recipe is from Gina and Karol Daly's The Daly Dish Rides Again, published by Gill Books.

Pasta Piselli

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

An easy peasy Italian pasta recipe that makes use of what you already have in your cupboard and freezer

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 13 mins

Total Time

 18 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• ½ onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 800ml stock, chicken or vegetable stock

• 150g frozen peas

• 200g pasta, whatever you have handy

• 50g Parmesan, grated

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Lemon, squeeze of lemon

• Mint leaves to serve, optional

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the onion and leave to saute for 2-3 minutes until the onion becomes translucent. If the pan begins to dry add a splash of the stock.

2. Add the garlic and the pasta and stir for a minute or so. Add the stock, parmesan, a squeeze of lemon and begin to simmer.

3. Leave for between 7-10 minutes, be careful not to let the ingredients stick to the pan so do stir as you go. Add the peas for the last 3-4 minutes.

4. Serve with fresh mint and a little grated parmesan. Enjoy.